Music instrument



Oc't. l, 1929.

M. STOEHR MUSIC INSTRUMENT Filed OCT.. Il..v 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HIT- d f'fgf ATTORNEY Oct. l', 1929. M. sToEHR 1,729,805

MUSIC INSTRUMENT Filed oci. 1. 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Oct. l, 1929 PATENT OFFICE Monrzl sToEHR, or Naw YORK, N. Y.

MUSIC INSTRUMENT Application led October 1, 1921.

, My invention has reference to keyboard Y music instruments, more particularly pianos, organs, and the like, and the object of my invention is to provide means for enabling the 5 performer to readily transpose a music composition from one key to another. Moreover, my invention provides means, whereby the composition as it is played may be recorded on a continuously moving strip of paper.

For accomplishing'these objects, l provide a duplicate movable keyboard adapted to be placed over; the permanent keyboard of the .instrument so as to leave a space between them. In this space I provide means for 15 transmitting the motion of the keys of the i duplicate keyboard to the keys of the permanent keyboard, sothat when a key of the former is depressed, the key of the permanentl keyboard below the said key of the duplicate keyboard will be depressed likewise.

The duplicate keyboard is so mounted abovev the permanent keyboard that it can. be shifted relative thereto sidewise either way so that the white and black keys ofA the kduplica-te keyboard will become displaced in relation to the corresponding white and black keys ofthepermanent keyboard. `When in this position ofthe duplicate keyboard the keys kof the latter are depressed, the motion will not be transmitted any longer to thecorresponding keys Vof fthe permanent keyboard, but to keys representing either a higher or a lower note. Thedepression of each key of Vthe duplicate keyboard releases a hammer provided at the freeend of a resilient finger. In line with each hammer, I provide a movable needle equipped with a fine knife edge, which by the blow of -the hammer is projected linto a continuously moving strip of paper, as the latter passes overa pad while being Ywound from one roller onto a. second roller under the action of a clockwork mechanism, ,or the like, which slowly rotates nthe second roller. The hammers are arranged closely together so that a strip of paper of comparatively narrow widtli only is required for recording the notes of all thekeys. rlhe entire vmechanism may be mounted on one I i frame, which can be readily secured to a Serial No. 504,633.

piano. ln the accompanying drawing diagrammatically illustrating the invent-ion,

Fig. 1 shows the duplicate keyboard in place over the permanent keyboard of a piano, with the transmitting means; Fig. 2 55 is an end elevationdiagraminatically'v drawn-showing also the recording mechanism; Fig. 3 shows a detail of the recording mechanism, also diagrammatically drawn, but on a larger scale; Fig. i is a diagram of the eight and a half octaves of a modern piano represented by the paper strip.

According to Fig. 1 the duplicate movable keyboard, like the permanent key-board, comprises black keys l and White keys 2, the corresponding keys of the permanent keyboard being indicated respectively by the reference numerals 5 and 6. Between the two keyboards there is provided a straight frame 4, which extends .across the entire permanent keyboard and the underside of which has recesses vso as to accommodate the raised black keys of the permanent keyboard. Vi-th its ends, the frame 4 which is preferably made of wood rests on the frame 7 of the piano, as shown at 75 the left of Fig. 1. The ends of frame 4 car-ry small blocks 9 (one only being shown) in which blocks rest the ends 8 of the ,duplicate keyboard, which ends pass through an opening in the said blocks and are movable lengthwise therein. By means of a set-screw 25 the ends 8 can be secured in position to prevent accidental dis. lacement of .the duplicate keyboard. The rame 4 has a large number of small bores-in number equal to .the number of keys of the two keyboards and in substantial alinement therewith, and in veach bore sits a movable -pin 3, one for each clef. Therefore, if a key of the duplicate keyboard is depressed, the `clef of the permanent keyboard just below the key thus depressed will be likewise depressed through the intervening pin 3 transmitting the motion of the one key to the other. In the position of the two keyboards as shown in Fig. l, the keys of each octave in the duplicate keyboard lie exactly above the corresponding keys in the permanent keyboard, but when, after previous loosening of the set-screws 25, the duplicate keyboard is shifted to the right in Fig. l a certain amount, e. g. half the width of a white key, the first white key of the duplicate key board, instead of being over the first white key of the permanent key board as shown in Fig. 1, will now be over the first black key of the permanent keyboard, and the rest of the keys ofthe duplicate keyboard have become similarly displaced. Supposing, that the lirst white key shown at the left in Fig. 1 is at the beginning of an octave representing therefore C natural, it will when now being depressed, not depress the key C natural of the permanent keyboard, but the black key representing C sharp, while the second white key of the duplicate keyboard representing D natural will, when being depressed, depress in the permanent keyboard the black key representing D sharp, and so forth. From Fig. 1, it might appear that upon depressing one of the white keys of the duplicate keyboard, more than one of the transmission pins 3 are depressed, but Fig. 2 shows that the pins 3 are arranged far enough back from the front edge of the keys to be opposite the narrower portions of the keys so that only one pin will be engaged by each key.

In order to enable a performer to immediately record the music played by him, I provide in connection with the duplicate keyboard a direct recording mechanism, which is shown in Figs. 2 and When one of the keys 1 of the duplicate keyboard is depressed, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2,'an abutment 10 normally bearing against a spring-linger 11 is moved away from said finger, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 2. As the finger 11is thus released, it springs backwards striking with a small hammer 12 provided at its free end, the head of a needle 13 which when thus struck is forced with its knife-like point into a strip of paper 18 which while wound from roller 16 onto roller 17, or vice versa, passes at a slow rate of speed over a pad 15 into which the point of the needle can penetrate. All the needles 13 are resiliently mounted and guided in a magazine 14 so that they will automatically return to their normal positions after having been thrust forward into the strip of paper 13 by the blow of the hammer l2. Fig. 3 shows va- `rious forms cfv making the pins 13 resilient. At 19 is shown a leaf-spring, the slotted free end of which bears from underneath against the head of the needle. At 20 is shown a helical spring surrounding the stem of the needlel and secured thereto so as to be compressed by a forward thrust of the needle. At 21 is shown a resilient finger fastened with its one end to the magazine and with its other end to the stem of the needle. In the practical embodiment of my invention, the ends of the spring-fingers 11 will, of course be closely arranged (Fig. 3) so that the strip of paper on which the composition. iS recorded will be of comparatively narrow width only, say about 6 inches, as shown by Fig. 4.

The strip of paper has marked thereon the notes of the entire compass of the piano, or other keyboard instrument on which my new mechanism is used, as shown in Fig. 4. When, therefore, a composition has been played and recorded in the strip of paper by the needles 13, the composition `can be readily copied by ruling the strip of paper with a double set of five horizontal lines as shown in Fig. 4, the upper set of these lines representing the notes appearing in the violin key and the lower set the notes appearing in the bass key.

The lines of the upper set may be colored lines to make them easily distinguished from the lines of the lower set. It will not be necessary to provide the shares or flats symbols, as these will be indicated by the position of the lines relative to the markings appearing on the strip of paper.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a keyboard music instrument, the combination with the frame and the per-` manent keyboard of the instrument, of a duplicate movable keyboard arranged in superposed spaced relation to the said permanent keyboard and adapted to be shifted lengthwise relative thereto, a stationary frame supported by the said frame of the instrument between the said two keyboards and recessed on its underside to fit the keys of the permanent keyboard and having bores corresponding in number to the keys of the said permanent keyboard, and a plurality of pins each one loosely guided in one of the said bores in alinement with a key of the said permanent key-board and a key of the said duplicate keyboard, so as to directly transmit the movement of all the keys of the latter to all the keys of the said permanent keyboard.

2. A keyboard music instrument as set forth in claim 1, comprising bearing blocks mounted upon the said stationary frame and provided with openings, the ends of the said duplicate keyboard being guided in these openings so as to enable the said duplicate keyboard to be shifted longitudinally relative to the said permanent keyboard for varying the relative position of the keys of the said two keyboards.

3. In a keyboard music instrument, the combination with the frame and the permanent keyboard, of a duplicate movable keyboard spaced from the said permanent keyboard, a straight frame adapted to rest on the said frame of the instrument between the said permanent and movable keyboards and supporting said duplicate keyboard, a plurality of pins loosely guided `in the said straight frame in alinement with the keys of the said two superposed keyboards and adapted to transmit the movements of the keys of the said duplicate keyboard to the keys of the said permanent keyboard, brackets carried by the said straight frame, two rollers rotatably journalled in said brackets, a continuous sheet of paper adapted to be Wound from one of the said rollers onto the other, and recording elements actuated by the movement of the keys of the said duplicate keyboard for automatically recording the composition on the said sheet of paper.

4. A keyboard music instrument as set forth in claim 3, in Which the said recording elements comprise a plurality of springfingers corresponding tothe number of keys of the said duplicate keyboard, means on the keys of the said duplicate keyboard for normally holding the said iingers in inoperative position, but releasing them upon the keys being depressed, a corresponding number of perforating members arranged opposite the said continuous sheet of paper and adapted to be actuated by the said spring-fingers for perforating the said sheet of paper, means for guiding the said perforating members, and means for automatically returning` them to their normal positions.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

MORIZ STOEHR. 

